As we are, I hope, leaving the acute phase of this unexpected conflict I wanted to reflect a little on what it’s been like living in the UAE through this conflict.
I am incredibly grateful to the government of the UAE, its military, allies, emergency services, and all the people in this community for keeping us safe as so many missiles and drones were fired at our country. Sadly, a small number of people have lost their lives and been injured in these attacks. But for the most part, we have felt safe, cared for, informed, and reassured throughout. It always seemed that things were under control, from defensive systems to essentials on the supermarket shelves. It has made communicating what’s going on and reasuring my kids that much easier.
I am incredibly proud of my colleagues at Etihad who have worked tirelessly. First to get stranded travellers safely home, and then to gradually bring back the network that we know, now more clearly than ever, is so vital to getting people and cargo in and out of the UAE.
I’m also so proud to be part of this community. Taking in everyone from the top of government to the guy who delivered my pizza with a smile on the first day of the conflict, when none of us knew what was happening. If the goal of striking the UAE was to crack the veneer of what was assumed to be a fragile edifice, it has failed in a profound way. It turns out that this country, this community, is truly antifragile, it has not been shattered by these attacks but made stronger by them. This improbable community of people from all over the world has come together in strength, resilience, support, calmness, purpose, and humour in ways that have surprised even those of us who know and love this place.
As I continue to process all of this, reflecting on how this community has responded, I wonder if there isn’t a lesson in this for the teams, organisations, and communities we lead and are part of. If you lead based on values, build trust over time, show competency and humility, and if you genuinely care, then you can build something far greater than the sum of its parts.